Portable surface cleaning apparatus

Abstract

A hand vacuum cleaner comprises a cyclone and a dirt chamber external to the cyclone. The cyclone comprises a dirt outlet in communication with the dirt chamber, a cyclone chamber rear end that is axially spaced from and opposed to a cyclone chamber front end and a sidewall located between the cyclone chamber front end and the cyclone chamber rear end. The cyclone air inlet and the cyclone air outlet are located at the cyclone chamber rear end wherein, when the upper end of the hand vacuum cleaner is positioned above the lower end of the hand vacuum cleaner, the central longitudinally extending axis is oriented generally horizontally. A plate is positioned at the front end of the cyclone chamber. The dirt outlet comprises a gap that is provided at the cyclone chamber front end and the gap is provided at a location that is spaced axially inwardly towards the cyclone chamber rear end.

I claim: 
     
       1. A hand vacuum cleaner having a front end, a rear end, an upper end and a lower end, the hand vacuum cleaner comprising:
 (a) an air flow path extending from a dirty air inlet to a clean air outlet; 
 (b) cyclone unit comprising a cyclone provided in the air flow path and a dirt chamber external to the cyclone, the cyclone comprising a cyclone chamber, a cyclone air inlet, a cyclone air outlet, a dirt outlet in communication with the dirt chamber, a central longitudinally extending axis, a cyclone chamber front end, a cyclone chamber rear end that is axially spaced from and opposed to the cyclone chamber front end, a sidewall located between the cyclone chamber front end and the cyclone chamber rear end, the cyclone air inlet and the cyclone air outlet are located at the cyclone chamber rear end wherein, when the upper end of the hand vacuum cleaner is positioned above the lower end of the hand vacuum cleaner, the central longitudinally extending axis is oriented generally horizontally; 
 (c) a plate positioned at the front end of the cyclone chamber, the plate having a radial outer end; and, 
 (d) a suction motor positioned in the air flow path, 
 wherein the dirt outlet comprises a gap that is provided at the cyclone chamber front end, the gap is positioned between the radial outer end of the plate and the sidewall and that extends circumferentially around all of the cyclone chamber, and a portion of the gap is provided at a location that is spaced axially between the rear end and the front end of the cyclone chamber. 
 
     
     
       2. The hand vacuum cleaner of  claim 1  wherein the gap lies in a plane that is transverse to the central longitudinally extending axis. 
     
     
       3. The hand vacuum cleaner of  claim 1  wherein the sidewall comprises a first portion that extends forwardly from the cyclone chamber rear end and a second portion that extends forwardly from the plate and the portion of the portion of the gap is located between the first portion of the cyclone sidewall and the second portion of the cyclone sidewall. 
     
     
       4. The hand vacuum cleaner of  claim 3  wherein a forward end of the first portion of the cyclone sidewall is spaced from the rearward end of the second portion of the cyclone sidewall whereby the portion of the gap is located between the forward end of the first portion of the cyclone sidewall and the rearward end of the second portion of the cyclone sidewall. 
     
     
       5. The hand vacuum cleaner of  claim 4  wherein, when the upper end of the hand vacuum cleaner is positioned above the lower end of the hand vacuum cleaner, the portion of the gap is a lower gap portion that is located at a lower portion of the cyclone chamber. 
     
     
       6. The hand vacuum cleaner of  claim 1  wherein when the upper end of the hand vacuum cleaner is positioned above the lower end of the hand vacuum cleaner, the gap comprises an upper gap portion and a lower gap portion, and an axial length of the upper gap portion differs to an axial length of the lower gap portion. 
     
     
       7. The hand vacuum cleaner of  claim 1  wherein the gap has an axial length and the axial length is larger at an upper end of the cyclone than at a lower end of the cyclone when the upper end of the hand vacuum cleaner is positioned above the lower end of the hand vacuum cleaner. 
     
     
       8. The hand vacuum cleaner of  claim 1  wherein the plate has a cyclone chamber face facing the cyclone chamber and an opposed dirt chamber face facing the dirt chamber. 
     
     
       9. The hand vacuum cleaner of  claim 1  wherein the front end of the cyclone unit is openable and the plate is moveable with the front end of the cyclone unit. 
     
     
       10. The hand vacuum cleaner of  claim 1  wherein the dirt chamber comprises a first portion that is located radially outwardly of the cyclone chamber. 
     
     
       11. The hand vacuum cleaner of  claim 10  wherein the dirt chamber comprises a second portion that is located between the plate and a front end of the cyclone unit. 
     
     
       12. The hand vacuum cleaner of  claim 1  wherein the gap comprises a gap portion that is located between a first portion of the cyclone sidewall and a second portion of the cyclone sidewall, wherein the first portion of the cyclone sidewall extends forwardly from the cyclone chamber rear end and the second portion of the cyclone sidewall extends rearwardly from the plate. 
     
     
       13. A hand vacuum cleaner having a front end, a rear end, an upper end and a lower end, the hand vacuum cleaner comprising:
 (a) an air flow path extending from a dirty air inlet to a clean air outlet; 
 (b) cyclone unit comprising a cyclone provided in the air flow path and a dirt chamber external to the cyclone, the cyclone comprising a cyclone chamber, a cyclone air inlet, a cyclone air outlet, a dirt outlet in communication with the dirt chamber, a central longitudinally extending axis, a cyclone chamber front end, a cyclone chamber rear end that is axially spaced from and opposed to the cyclone chamber front end, a sidewall located between the cyclone chamber front end and the cyclone chamber rear end, the cyclone air inlet and the cyclone air outlet are located at the cyclone chamber rear end wherein, when the upper end of the hand vacuum cleaner is positioned above the lower end of the hand vacuum cleaner, the central longitudinally extending axis is oriented generally horizontally; 
 (c) a plate positioned at the front end of the cyclone chamber; and, 
 (d) a suction motor positioned in the air flow path, 
 wherein the dirt outlet comprises a gap that is provided at the cyclone chamber front end, and 
 wherein the gap comprises a gap portion that is located between a first portion of the cyclone sidewall and a second portion of the cyclone sidewall, the first portion of the cyclone sidewall extends forwardly from the cyclone chamber rear end, the second portion of the cyclone sidewall extends rearwardly from the plate, and the second portion is axially aligned with the first portion. 
 
     
     
       14. The hand vacuum cleaner of  claim 13  wherein the gap extends circumferentially around all of the cyclone chamber, and, when the upper end of the hand vacuum cleaner is positioned above the lower end of the hand vacuum cleaner, the gap comprises an upper gap portion and a lower gap portion, and an axial length of the upper gap portion is larger than an axial length of the lower gap portion. 
     
     
       15. The hand vacuum cleaner of  claim 13  wherein the plate has a cyclone chamber face facing the cyclone chamber and an opposed dirt chamber face facing the dirt chamber. 
     
     
       16. The hand vacuum cleaner of  claim 13  wherein the front end of the cyclone unit is openable and the plate is moveable with the front end of the cyclone unit. 
     
     
       17. The hand vacuum cleaner of  claim 13  wherein the dirt chamber comprises a first portion that is located radially outwardly of the cyclone chamber. 
     
     
       18. The hand vacuum cleaner of  claim 17  wherein the dirt chamber comprises a second portion that is located between the plate and a front end of the cyclone unit.